Watch the Sighting:
Video from March of 2020:
This happened in March of 2020. The Pilanesberg Centre is a famous place to stop for a bite in Kruger National Park. Sonja Lerm, one of the employees who worked at the centre in 2020, was opening the shop for the day, unaware of the impending excitement that would soon take place.
Playful Predators
Around 8 a.m., a few employees and tourists began to file into the restaurant. The Excitement was palpable as everyone observed a nearby pride of lions lying in the shade and playing.
Another Latest Sightings member, Millie, was at the scene and described how the lions were finding objects around the premises and playing with them.
“One was already playing with a white bucket chewing its edge and pawing playfully. The excitement was intense, cameras clicking away, smiles wide and a lot of chat about every move they were making.”
As more vehicles began to pull in, one of the lions disappeared to a storage area and emerged with a dustpan a few moments later. As the first lion returned to the shade, it caught the interest of one of the other lions, and together they tore the dustpan to pieces.
A Curious Visitor
The morning sighting took an exciting turn when one of the young lions became a little too curious of its observers, and decided to take a closer look. When it started to head straight towards the building, the staff members knew they had to act fast.
The staff quickly shut all the doors to the restaurant, ushering everyone inside and away from the doors. The lion continued to approach and paced along the front of the building.
Up Close and Personal
It paused to investigate one of the picnic tables in the front, then made its way down the paved path towards the front door. Everyone inside held their breath as the lion approached, fearful that it would try to get inside the building.
Finally, it made it up to the door, lowering its posture and staring directly inside the restaurant through the glass . Sonja recounted that everyone was equally excited and frightened to see the lion so close and they used the opportunity to capture some amazing footage.
Just before strutting off, the lion struck a pose in front of the building, and another as it stretched out against a small tree as if saying, ‘Make sure to get my good side!’ It eventually found its way back to its pride and resumed playing with its family.
The Golden Rule
While this encounter provided an unforgettable experience for the visitors, Sonja disclosed that it’s always important to stay calm in situations like this and keep a safe distance from the animals.
Even though animals can be curious and may want to get close to humans, it doesn’t mean that we should allow them to be close to us. The boundaries and space of wild animals should always be respected, and if an animal approaches, it is best to back away slowly.
Guests in a Wild World
As humans, we must always consider ourselves guests in the world of wild animals. Unfortunately, there are many consequences wild animals suffer that are a direct result of the closeness between human civilization and the wilderness.
When humans are too close to animals, we put them at risk of injury if the animal tries to make an escape, especially near roads. Certain animals can also be rejected by their parents if they come into contact with humans, which makes them vulnerable to predation.
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Additionally, wild animals that become accustomed to human presence and frequent developed areas like picnic spots and campgrounds face a higher risk of consuming human food, contracting diseases from people and pets, or transmitting illnesses to them in return.
Since wild animals are commonly seen near the Pilanesberg Centre, it is important that measures be put in place to keep the animals away from both humans and the centre. The negative effects on wildlife must always be considered when human development encroaches on animal territory, especially as safari infrastructure continues to increase.